If you do go stainless... you could get a stainless wrapped frig, but it is more costly. Your floor is lovely and I can see (if you go quartz) a pretty caramel color looking great with the cabs, a soft backsplash, and your floors.

It's totally not a candidate for gutting! It just needs a little pizazz. But yeah those appliances jump out and everything else is sort of the same tone.

Have you considered a dark counter? You've seen all those white/soapstone kitchens; yours is a good candidate for something dark. Then your appliances wouldn't be so bold (and you could get away with just about any color).

Since you know what color your cabinets are, you COULD construct an end panel for the fridge if you decided to go stainless. To make it not look like an afterthought, trim it out like a big ol' picture frame and build in a cork or magnetic board.

I think a bronzy brown quartz would look great with your cabs (which definitely don't look like they need to be replaced) with stainless appliances would really update the space. I would also recommend you replace the sink with an undermount model while you're replacing the counters. Good luck and I look forward to seeing what quartz you choose!

I say go with shiny white appliances. Normally I would say go with stainless steel to break up the white but I don't think stainless would work in your room with the concept of humble and simple.

On another note I LOVE your kitchen. It is one I would feel so comfortable in.

Fori, thanks for the kind words! Appreciate it. I'd thought about the bronzy brown, kind of dark, which would obviously be a big change for me, but brown & cream are a good combo I think! Since I haven't nailed which appliance color to go with, I'm just not sure about how to deal with the counter! Bronzy I can see w/ss, not so much with white. When I put grayish samples in there, they feel cold (but work with white, not so well with the Bone cabs.) See my dilemma?

Remodelflora, thanks, glad you like my floors! I like the sound of the counter you describe too. Pretty!

Flwrs, I love the idea of the integrated sink. Thanks, great idea...that would add a lot!

Djsaw, shiny white, yeah? I see what you mean about stylistic issues. It's not a glitzy glam kitchen. I just get hamstrung when I start thinking about mixing cream cabs & white appliances. How to tie the two whites together with countertops & backsplash?

I could paint the cabs a whiter white, but I don't think that will go as well with surrounding rooms. Maybe I worry too much. I just want the color combo to look intentional, not accidental. Iykwim! Thanks for the very sweet compliment. In this age of HGTV dream kitchens, that's very nice to hear!

Stinky, I am just wondering how you feel about the existing fridge, colorwise, and the Bone cabs. Mixing different shades of white is tricky, but it can be done.

Amy! Yay! Yeah, I do have concerns about that mix, & having it come across as intentional. I agree, in the right hands, it can be done well & look great.

In my previous house (in Bethlehem!) my kitchen was double the size of my current one, in a house 60 yrs. older. My goal was to freshen up an old house & bring in light, SO, I had white countertops installed, bought all white appliances, & had my cabs & walls painted BM Super White! (Did have wood floors.) I loved it. Of course, all that was a no-brainer! My current little kitchen requires more thought.

Stainless is a finish that seems to be easier to team up with other colors. I certainly haven't ruled out white, just finding it more difficult to work with as I look at the other pieces of the puzzle, like today, when I went to the tile & quartz shops.

Do you think there are stainless appliances that look less contemporary & slick than others? Styles that would still be compatible with my somewhat country/cottage look? The French door, bottom freezer style seems to look "softer" than the side-by-side models for some reason to me. Also, curved doors instead of straighter ones?

I am still on the fence, as you can see!

Thanks so much for stopping by & asking! (Sorry to be such a PITA!!)

I'd take down the cabinet above the fridge and place a panel on either side of the fridge and then reinstall the cabinet above the fridge with blocking to bring it forward. No need for a cabinet depth fridge when you do that as you can make the panels as deep as need be for a regular fridge. You will probably want to box out the soffit too, so it's the same depth as the fridge, but drywall and a couple of studs will be easy to work with for that.

Then, if you want stainless, the sides will be hidden and painted the white of your cabinets. Or, the sides of whatever color you decide will be hidden.

I do think that a dark counter would give you kitchen some "oomph" in contrasting with the white cabinets. I'm not sure how you feel about black appliances with black counters, but plenty of people have done it and it can look great.

The only thing I wouldn't do is use too much of a good thing. So if you have cream cabinets, and off-white subway tile and a cream or tan countertop, I think that's too much. I think we're all drawn to a little bit of contrast. One of the reasons I'm not keeping my cabinets white (still will be painted but just not white) is cause I'm doing white subway tile (honed marble but it's very white and the subway look). And while I like marble for a countertop as so many do, i knew that wasn't an option cause of my white cabinets. I think layerings of colors is nice, especially when contrasting or contrasting between warm and cool colors...or with one or two repeats such as cream on lower cabinets, charcoal or bronze etc. on countertop, white on backsplash (or a light off-white), then cream again on uppers (if not a completely different but complimenting color altogether), then something different on walls and/or ceiling - e.g. a deep cherry color or a peacock or robin's egg blue, or a cheerful light apple green (like what you have?) or something a bit more of a pick-me-up like one of those. Or not -- something completely neutral and soothing's good too of course! The wall colors aren't as big a deal IMO. As long as they aren't the same color as the trim but even that works sometimes (not often!).

I'm reading the new trend will be more color on the cabs and the neutrals on the walls/ceiling - but I'm sure it'll be a passing thing. That's what I'm doing actually but only cause the inspiration picture I fell in love with used such a soothing (to me) color on the cabinets that I didn't mind (and I love something that's a little different, so didn't mind the color-reversal).

What's funny is that even though I'm sick to death of stainless appliances, I think they'd be pretty in your room! I don't know - that's a tough one. Because my countertop is stainless (in an old period kitchen w/ farm sink, subway tile, etc.) and because I don't like too much stainless in general (just love it as a counter in an old kitchen cause I'm weird), I decided to have only one appliance be stainless, which is the fridge, and on the opposite wall for some balance. The french door style worked for me cause it makes me think of cupboards so felt sort of old-fashioned in my head - and I do indeed love our stainless french door fridge. But I decided to go for the cabinet door look on our dishwasher (the integrated kind - painted same color as our lower cabs), to minimize stainless overkill yet also to avoid the ubiquitous white or black. My stove is just my 10-year-old white stove w/ microwave but eventually when I update that, it won't be to stainless. I'll want either a bright color or else a restored vintage stove (or vintage look) that's white (e.g. w/ some stainless/chrome detail or w/ some black details, or both).

How old is your house? Your room is so comfy and inviting...I don't know that I'd do black or stainless. "They" also say white appliances are coming back in but with a different look, whatever that means. I think sleeker and smoother looking. I think your kitchen would be nice w/ white - but maybe w/ a french door style fridge?

Ok sorry for writing so much. Sheesh - I've been writing my brains out lately! Time to stop drinking so much coffee I think.

Livewire, thanks! You're a little too lively for me! Lol! Would like to avoid all that sawdust, but seriously, your ideas are great, & you do solve the "gray exposure" problem with your scheme. Thanks for the tip about the dark counters giving more oomph. That seems to be a pattern emerging here! As far as the black appliances go, I have two friends IRL who say the same thing. Hmmmm...

Theresse, ah one of my favorite saints! NO, you didn't write too much. I enjoyed hearing all your ideas. Thanks for sharing them & for giving thought to my scenario.

Thanks for the compliment. My house dates back to 1987. Your house sounds right up my alley. Your kitchen plans sound wonderful. I love old houses! I'm trying to give my newer, somewhat cookie-cutter house a little of the character & charm found in an older house.

Don't stop writing. It's good for the soul. With or without coffee.

Goldenrod...Avocado...JOKING!!!

I like your cabinets the color they are...they look classic and I would suggest SS appliances and a gray colored counter top.

Here is a link that might be useful: gray counter

Vamp, true to your screen name, you do your best work in the wee hours of the morning, eh? Thanks!! That's one fabulous kitchen, & on the link you provided, that's my cabinet! Gorgeous counter you selected. Food for thought!

Stinky, you're not a pain at all.

Just a few thoughts. First, I love the gray counter immediately above. Maybe this is personal, but I just don't love the bronzeybrown counter idea. Even though I don't follow trends too much, I do feel like gray is the "new" neutral, and if resale continues to hover in the back of your mind, gray might feel more updated. I also like the way t looks with the SS above.

So, I was thinking about the white-on-white and I want to suggest/ask again if you have considered a color for the backsplash. I think that if the tile were a color, it would deflect attention from the white/Bone combo, should you decide on white appliances.

Another thing you could do is mix whites on the backsplash to incorporate the white and the bone. I could see a checker board of white and bone squares. Or a combination of several whites in a random subway (smaller format).

I agree that boxing in a SS fridge will go a long way to making it fit in visually. I will respectfully disagree, however, that bumping out the soffit and over-fridge cab is a nice idea. That is just my bias, but I have never seen a fridge jutting into a kitchen that doesn't make me wish it were counter depth.

You seem to be willing to repaint the cabs. Will you do it yourself? It is an expensive job if you hire it out. One thing that occurred to me was that you could get a SS fridge, box it in. Get a SS range, which looks to be at some distance from the fridge. Then, spring for a paneled DW and paint it Bone. That way, you don;t have the full array of SS everywhere and the DW, which can be the toughest SS to keep clean IME, will blend in nicely.

I think you're on the right track. I too would suggest a darker cabinet, but I would consider soapstone since you want a more homey look. I would go with white appliances, do a white subway tile backsplash, but put a border within the subway tile. here is something similar but with white cabinets. I think with you cream cabinets it would look even better. http://photos.mlsli.com/mlsphotos/full/9/282/2298282_9.jpg

I meant to say darker countertop. next time I'll finish my coffee first.

Amy, while I do love Vamp's gray counter, I don't think it would be compatible with the warmer tones going on in the room immediately to the right of my round table. The kitchen is largely open to this room. You easily see the curtains at least, from anywhere you stand in the kitchen. Remember this room? You suggested Beacon Hill Damask for paint in there once, which would be a spot on choice with my textiles in there!
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Don't want to venture into colored tile. I know there's a world of gorgeous colored tile out there. I especially like glass tile, but walls can be painted, & tile has to be sledgehammered! I'd rather play it safe in that dept.

I would be willing to re-paint the cabs, but again, with the room next door, I feel the cream does work best, which is why I picked it over a whiter white. That little room also has wood beams, the wood floors, a red brick fireplace, olive chair, etc. The tones are earthy & mid-tone, not light, bright, & cheery. I had the cabs & most of the walls in the house, painted professionally 3.5 yrs. ago, & would opt for that again.

Again, thanks for thinking about my dilemma!

Cpartist, nice kitchen you linked me to...thanks for the inspiration! I do like soapstone, but don't know about black! It is earthy & casual feeling, which I like.

Okay, so no colored tile. I get it. :-)

Go to the Trikeenan website and look at their Kitchens gallery. They show the kind of "mixed whites" subway I was talking about. This stuff is pricey and they are in some kind of re-organization proceedings, so I am not suggesting you buy their tile....just look at the colors and the way they mix them.

Thanks for the great link, Amy. That is a beautiful tile resource. I showed dh a picture in a book yesterday of alternating cream & white squares on a backsplash. They were set on the diagonal, so they were diamonds. He said it looked "chaotic!" He liked the idea of one color of subway tile much better. His favorite was the cream I brought home. He said he could even handle green subway more than two-tone anything.

Amy, at this point, since I don't feel really drawn to anything appliance finish wise, I think I'll trade this project for working on one of my bathrooms. In reality, both of my full baths probably even more desperately require attention than my kitchen!

Guess if something in my kitchen breaks, that will force me to decide...white or stainless? Until then, maybe I really should address other projects. This kitchen decision-making is leaving me a little cross-eyed at the moment! Not that the bathroom decisions will be any easier!

Thanks again for all the help. I have learned a lot from this "exploration." I want to thank everyone who shared ideas with me & gave time & thought to my space.

I agree with Theresse on the need for contrast. Have you checked out green quartz? I mean the dark green, like Cambria's Oxwich:
http://www.cambriausa.com/colordetail.cfm?color=6200&colorname=Oxwich%20Green&collection=1

I think that could be really beautiful both with the cabinets and with stainless appliances. (The idea of bronzey-brown next to stainless just doesn't seem like a good fit to me.) Green could tie the cream and stainless together really nicely, because it's on the warm side (which goes with the cream) but it's not too warm and has blue in it (which goes with the silver). The Cambria Oxwich especially looks like it could work, because of those flecks of cream color in it. And it would give you that "pop" of contrast and a touch of color (but not too much) to jazz things up.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cambria Oxwich Green

Ideagirl, thanks for your idea! You know what? I keep gravitating toward greens! Perhaps more subtle & mossy than the one above, but I keep telling myself to move AWAY. I should stay with a something more neutral. Maybe I should bring home some samples. Why not?

I keep tripping back over to the kitchen appliances, even though I am now supposed to be looking at bath fixtures while at Lowes! I saw an interesting Fridgidaire counter-depth today. It was stainless, but it was matte, not shiny. At a little over 26" deep, it was also super small scale, which was super! It was also stainless all around...no gray or black side. It wasn't French door though. It was side by side. Don't know if that's a deal breaker, but it has a lot going for it that I like.

Guess the kitchen appliance search continues simultaneously with my proposed transition to bathroom upgrades!!! Must be in my blood now!

I'd probably go stainless on the appliances but black could work too. We chose mostly black for our kitchen (I say mostly because I got the Monogram ovens in stainless but with black windows). Sounds like the one at Lowes might be the ticket.

Check out the Kitchenaid 30" ranges. They look profressional but are well priced and they even have a double oven model. Some models also have a warming drawer. That's a lot of function to pack into a small space. Maytag and GE Cafe also make nice choices.

I'd consider switching out the cabinet hardware - especially the hinges if you can fill and touch up the paint. You might also consider replacing just the upper doors if you can match the color. The arched style always looks a little dated to me and a local custom cabinet shop can probably make doors for you for $25-$30 a piece. I think other folks who've recommended encasing your fridge with cabinets and pulling the upper out were on to something.

Not sure if you're a wine drinker but you could replace your trash compacter with a 15" wine or beverage fridge. Danby makes a nice unit that can be turned down low enough to store food too.

And I think under cabinet lighting would make a huge difference in there - and maybe a nice light over the sink.

I'd also be tempted to do a built in window seat. You have a nice cutout for it and you could do some really lovely fabric for the bench top. You could integrate a rectangular table in and get some good seating.

Or... you could do window height cabinets in that cutout. Use it for a buffet on top and extra storage underneath. That's probably what I'd do and a local cabinet shop could build one just the right height for you pretty cheaply.

If you're gravitating towards greens, why not go for it? At least look around, order samples, see if there are some you really like. Green is a lot more neutral than just about any other color (such as blue, red, purple, orange...). Well, natural-looking greens are, anyway: sage green, mossy green, forest green, etc. Lime green is obviously a different story.

What I like about green is that it gives you some color without screaming "HEY CHECK ME OUT, I'M A COLOR!" It's a relaxing yet warm color, so it FEELS neutral even though it's more interesting to the eye than real neutrals are.

Hey Stinky, what a charming kitchen you have. I absolutely love your wood floors. They are gorgeous. I have a counterdepth french door with bottom freezer and a slide- in range and think they are great. Yes, maybe I am losing a bit of space with the counterdepth frig but I hated the big old bulky side by side that jutted into my small kitchen. (Plus my frig usually holds condiments and a few bottles of wine so it is not a big deal.) I like the idea of a darker counter because I am a fan of contrast. One thing you haven't mentioned is hardware for the cabinets. I see you have hardware on the drawers but not the doors. I think hardware would be a great way to add some zing to your space. As far as the backsplash (and the hardware), I would select the counters and then re-evaluate. Baby steps.

Good luck and keep posting with your progress.

Brittu, you have tons of great ideas. Thanks! You have given me a lot to review & consider. I like the idea of replacing the trash compactor (which I NEVER use) with something functional. It was very observant of you to notice it...sharp eye! Love your window seat idea! That's the kind of thing I really find charming...maybe down the road.

Ideagirl, yes I see what you mean about greens being the most neutral among colors. The green on my wall, btw, is not as vivid as in the pics. It looks sort of cactus green in the pics, & IRL it's softer & less yellow.

Whenever I saw quartz samples today that were soft greens, I'd go "ooooh & ahhh" & my dh would say, "What color is that?" & I'd say "Sort of a mossy green...or sort of a soft gray green" & he'd shake his head(not with enthusiasm!) However, If I brought the samples home & they looked good, then he'd say so, & wouldn't stand on the neutral principle, so it's not out of the question. He does really like the idea of something darker & more high contrast for the countertop.

I'm with you, I am definitely a green fan! One of the best decor decisions I ever made was to paint this kitchen green in March. I loved this color & knew it was right with the first brush stroke. Every morning I've come downstairs & walked into my kitchen since it was painted, I've so enjoyed seeing it! Green is good!

All great suggestions, SG. Love the ideas for buffet top/storage or the window seat, depending on which you'd make more use of. One consideration re your countertop color is choosing something that will go with a different color paint should you decide to change in the years ahead.

Would you consider replacing your hood with a stainless micro hood to match your new range?

Kitchenkelly, hi! Nice to see you. Thanks for the feedback & the kind words.

I've wondered what to do about hardware! Those knobs were the previous owners that I re-installed after the painting was done. I like them, but agree that the hardware could definitely be zingier!

Like the idea of baby steps. You mean all kitchen upgrades don't have to be done a la Candace Olsen?
(Ta Da!)

Abundantblessings...Hi! Thanks for your suggestions. Good tip about the countertop/paint issue. Yes, I plan to replace the hood & really want a more powerful, functional one in place of this flimsy builder grade one. The way I cook (I stir-fry a lot) a hood that works well would be a great asset.

Nope, most folks really do need more than a thirty minute show. (Think 1980's mini-series that showed one episode a week.)

Well-said, Kitchenkelly! Thanks.

Looked up reviews for the Frigidaire this morning & they are just awful! "Save your money" was the consensus. I really liked the smaller scale & size & loved the finish. It seemed nearly finger-print proof! They make a matching dishwasher & range in this lovely finish. Oh well!
Here it is. Close, but no cigar:
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Personally, I would go with either stainless or black appliances. Mixing white with cream would be too tricky for me. I am not crazy about bronzy-brown counters with either black or stainless appliances. I like the idea of black appliances and either dark counters or counters with dark flecks or swirls to tie it together. In our last kitchen we had cherry cabinets, black appliances, tumbled marble (ivory/beige) backsplash, and a medium green granite that had swirls of ivory and black that tied everything together. If you found a counter you like that has green (or some other color), ivory and black, that would tie together the cabinets and appliances, and then just stick with a simple tile backsplash in a color close to your cabinets. Something like Juparana Columbo (swirls of black, cream and a rosy tone) would also look great and be a warm choice. Your floors are beautiful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Juparana Columbo

Thanks Kay! I think I'd like black appliances in there until you get to the...fridge! It's so big! It seems that black would just loom so large from the fridge space. I hear what you are saying about white being tricky. That is my concern too.

Saw these counters at Lowes yesterday. Too much black for my room?
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